Rail fastening device



April 3, 1951 A. R. scHuLzE RAIL FASTENING DEVICE 2 SheQseSheet 1 Filed June 5, 1947 FIE.I3-

April 3, 1951 A. R. scHULzE RAIL FASTENING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June`l` 5,1947

-Patented Apr. 3, 1951 RAIL. FASTENING DEVCE Arthur R. Schulze, ilohnstowmrPa., assignor to United States Steel Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 5, 1947, serial No. 752,775

(el. 23e- 349) 3 Claims. 1 Thisy invention relates to a rail fastening device and more particularly to such a device for fastening a rail to a tie plate. The railroad tracks-v are4 subjected to extreme vibrations, noticeablel deflections anda resulting wave motion due to the rapid change from no load to full load asy the trainY travels over the track. It is desirable that the fastening means remain in position in spite of this vibration, but when simple conventional devices, such as bolts or cap screws are used in fasteningthe rail to the tie plates, the extreme and rapid vibration of the track structurel under'trafc causes wear on the small contact surfaces-'with resultant rapid loos-- enin-gof the assembled parts; Special devices havebeen resorted to with considerable success, but'ordinarily theyI are relatively expensive and manyy of them are so constructed that the strengthand'l bearing-area" of the tie plates are reduced.

It is an object of myinvention to provide a mail; fastening, device? which isv inexpensive and rugged in construction.

Another object is to. provide such a devicek Figure 2 is a, sectional view taken on the line 3 II-II of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view ofthe spring clip of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a second embodiment of my invention;

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan View of a third embodiment of my invention; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on the line VI--VII of Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a standard tie plate which is mounted on a tie in the usual manner and which is provided with the usual rail seating portion 4 for receiving the flange 6 of the rail. An inverted U-shaped member 3 is welded to the base plate 2 on each side of the rail between the seat portion il and the edge of the plate. The position of the member 8 is such 2 that its top inner suilface I0 is arranged at a slightly steeper angle than the top surface i2 of the rail base. The difference between the two. angles may be termed a differential angle which is indicated as I4 in theV drawings. This differential angle I4 is preferably greater than the friction'al angle between the spring clip G` and the member 8 and may be approximatelyvbe'- tween 40' and 80,-45'. The spring clip i5 is elongated' and passes'through an opening l'in the member' 8 with one end bearing on the tie plate 2 and the other end bearing on the' rail surface I'Z. The' inner end of the clip'y Hi'is' bentv upwardly at 2!) so that' itr may be driven into position until itY abuts the rail web 22 whichr limits its inw'ardmovem'entl The upper party of the clipi6 is essentially convex as shown. a

In' installing the clip l5 'itis driven into posi-4 tion with its'l surface 24 which contactssurface Ibeing compressed' a distance 26- as shown in Figure 3. The shape offtheV clip before ini:` stalling is shown in solid linesinFi'gure y3` andfl the amount of' compression is shown in'v broken lines. The inward movement" of thefclip i6 is limited by contact of the endA 20 withweb 22 and backing out of the clip Iii' is prevented by" reason of the differential angle it; a ment' permits'a-limted movement 230i thefrail with respect toV the basev plate Zf'and'4 holds the' spring clip* I6 position regardless o'flthe nfioveVM ment due to vibrations. While the spring clip I6 is shown as a solid member it will be understood that it could also be made of a plurality of leaves fastened together.

Figures 4 and 5 'disclose a second embodiment of my invention which is quite similar to that shown in.- Figures 1, 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the various parts of the device are the saine as shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 and have like reference numerals with the exception of spring clip 28 which differs somewhat from spring clip i6. Also, a rubber shim 39 is indicated under the base 6 of the rail, but this shim may or may not be used in each of the embodiments as desired. The spring clip 2S differs from spring clip I6 by having s, hook portion 32 provided at its outer end with the end thereof abutting against the inverted U-shaped member 8 to prevent inward movement thereof. The other end 34 is bent upwardly with its under surface serrated at 36 to prevent it from sliding on the surface l2. The main portion of the clip 2B is of the same general shape as that of I6 except that it is generally arcuate instead of having an angular bend therein. The upper Vend of surface This arrange# .3 Il] is contacted by surface 38 of the clip 23 when the clip is driven into position.

Figures 6 and 7 show a third embodiment of my invention which differs from the first two embodiments in the shape of the spring clip 40 and the arrangement of the inverted U-shaped member l2 which is welded to the base plate 2 in a vertical position. The spring clip 40 generally resembles that of spring clip 28 being provided With the hook portion 32 for limiting inward movement thereof, but differs from spring clip 28 by having a shoulder 44 on the top surface thereof `which abuts the inner surface of the member l2 to prevent outward movement of the clip 4U. The clip yfill is assembled in the same general manner as the clips t5 and 28, but the outward movement is prevented by shoulder 34 instead of by means of the differential angle I4.

While three embodiments of my invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A rail fastening device comprising a tie plate having a seat portion for the base of the rail, an inverted substantially U-shaped member secured to said tie plate at a point intermediate the seat portion and the edge of the plate, said U-shaped member being arranged at an angle to the vertical with the underside thereof being arranged at a steeper angle than the top surface of the flange of the rail, the angle of the underside of the U-shaped member being inclined in the same general direction as the top surface of the flange of the rail adjacent thereto, an elongated longitudinally bowed spring clip extending through said inverted U-shaped member and bearing against the underside thereof, the upper surface of said clip being longitudinally convex, the distance between the underside of the U- shaped member and the tie plate being greater than the thickness of the clip, one end of said clip bearing against the top of the rail flange and the other end bearing against the top of the tie plate, the portion of said spring clip bearing against the underside of said inverted U-shaped member being under compression and being arranged at an angle at least as great as the angle of the underside of the U-shaped member, the

said convex portion of the spring clip being in contact with the U-shaped member in a manner to urge said clip toward the rail under vibration,

2. A rail fastening device comprising a tie plate having a seat portion for the base of the rail, la member secured to said tie plate at a point intermediate the seat portion and the edge of the plate, said member having an opening therethrough with the upper surface of the opening being spaced from the top of said tie plate, said upper surface being arranged at a steeper angle than the top surface of the flange of the rail, the angle of said upper surface being inclined in the same general direction as the top surface of the flange of the rail adjacent thereto, an elongated longitudinally bowed spring clip extending through said opening and bearing against said top surface, the upper surface of said clip being longitudinally convex, one end of said clip bearing against the top of the rail flange and the other end bearing against the top of the tie plate, said opening being of greaterv height than the thickness of that portion of said clip passing through said opening, the portion of said spring clip bearing against the said upper surface being under compression and being arranged at an angle at least as great as the angle of the said upper surface, the said convex portion of the spring clip being in contact with the said upper surface in a manner to urge said clip toward the rail under vibration.

3. A rail fastening device according to claim 2 in which the end of the clip adjacent the rail is turned upwardly and a hook portion is provided at the outer end of the clip, said hook portion extending upwardly from the tie plate with the end thereof being adapted to abut against said member to limit inward movement of said clip.

ARTHUR R. SCHULZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,379,531 Cooper et al May 24, 1921 1,863,146 Young June 14, 1932 1,888,648 Woodings Nov. 22, 1932 1,995,020 Woodings Mar. 19, 1935 

